1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cable connector, and particularly to a cable connector having integrally formed metal latch and cable strain relief.
2. Description of related Art
A conventional high speed serial data connector (HSSDC) has a metal latch secured to an insulating housing of the connector for latching with a mating connector when the two connectors are mated together, and an insulating cable strain relief around an exposed portion of a cable of the connector to protect connection between the cable and the connector. However, such a conventional connector is costly because the metal latch and the insulating cable strain relief must be manufactured and assembled separately. On the other hand, a grounding path starting from braiding of the cable through a die case shell and the metal latch of the connector to the mating connector is too complicated to provide an effective grounding function. Thus, an improved cable connector which can overcome the disadvantages of the prior art device is desired.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a cable connector having integrally formed metal latch and cable strain relief to decrease the overall cost of the connector and improve the grounding performance.
In order to achieve the object set forth, a cable connector of the present invention comprises an insulating housing, a plurality of mating portions secured to a first end of the housing, and a cable secured at a second end of the housing and electrically connecting with the mating portions. The connector comprises a metal piece having a metal latch and a strain relief integrally formed with the metal latch. The metal latch includes a first crimping portion secured around a portion of the cable to protect the electrical connection between the cable and the mating portions. The strain relief has a second crimping portion engaging with grounding braiding of the cable. A grounding path can be thus established from the cable through the metal piece to a grounding piece of a mating connector.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.